


The Peacemaker

by orphan_account



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Biracial Character, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Mustang's Team, Parental Roy, Pirates, Xerxes | Cselkcess, parental riza
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-02
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-08-28 14:14:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8449438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: At the start of the Industrial Revolution, Roy Mustang and his men are against the Royals, who have complete control over the country and neglect it's citizens. Becoming pirates was enough of a challenge, with a large bounty over their heads, but things become more complicated when the crew rescues two orphans.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is my child, I love it, and I hope you do too! Reviews are greatly appreciated.

****

The sky in the distance was a deep umber orange, underlayed with rich crimson tones. The clouds above the yellow wisps were jet black, like thunderstorm clouds tended to look like. Something was off, however. The waves were calm and the wind was practically non existent, so it could not have been storming near.

It was midday and it really made no sense the sky would be colorful as if it was sunrise or sunset. That left only one explanation; there was an enormous fire burning on land. Jean Havoc dropped his cigar and made his way clumsily up the deck stairs and to the steering wheel. "Falman!" He exclaimed while looking at the fiery shore. "Where is Mustang?" It was not uncommon for the navigator to take over steering when the captain wasn't present, but it was common courtesy to let the quartermaster know where he would be in case of an emergency.

"He went to get lunch a few minutes ago." After giving Falman a quick nod, Jean made his way down two sets of stairs and across a short hall to the kitchen.

"Captain." He stood rigid in front of the doorway, waiting patiently for his superior to give the signal that it was okay to speak. Mustang put his fork down and finished swallowing his food.

"What is it?"

"There's a large fire burning five kilometers due east."

"Is it the Royal's work?"

"It's hard to tell, but it might be." Mustang took a sip of his tea, and grinned.

"Well, there's no harm in checking it out. Tell Falman to plot a course for the fire, full steam ahead. I'll be up when I'm done." Jean nodded his head to the captain and made his way back up to the main deck. By the time he reached Falman, everyone else on the ship had noticed the blazing fire in the near distance.

"The captain ordered us to check it out." Jean called down from the lower deck, and Falman waved a hand to signal he understood. Within minutes, the crew hastily scrambled about to set sail towards the burning town.

Mustang emerged from the hull of the ship when land was finally approachable. By the time they reached the village, the fire had considerably died down. Everyone boarded a dinghy and prepared to attack the enemy in case anyone was still around.

The smoky air smelled pungent and rotten; a blend of burnt wood, weeds, and flesh. The silence was heavy and eerie, not even the bugs or birds made a sound. Gray ash was blending in with the sand, making a snow like cover over the land. Whoever had caused the catastrophe was no longer here.

"Search for survivors and meet back here in an hour." Mustang motioned to the dock, so everyone was clear on the meeting point. Everyone went their separate way to see if they could find any sign of life, or evidence of who burned the village.

* * *

 

Roy was thrilled when they reached shore and had a chance to fight the Royals. The only problem was that nobody was there to greet him. The town was empty and null of life.

The feeling in his gut told him this was the work of the Royals. Maybe the villagers couldn't pay all of their taxes. Perhaps a soldier had a grudge against someone who lived within the town, and decided to take it out on all of them. It was hard to tell the reason, but the Royals could get away with anything.

That was exactly why Roy and his team split away from the military; to escape the corrupt system and help the repressed citizens as often as they could. When news of the town's demise reached other people, the blame would no doubt be put on Roy. It was easy enough to accuse a pirate, after all.

Roy spotted a horseshoe laying in a patch of smoldered grass. He picked it up and carefully inspected it, looking for any familiar marks or designs. Right on the toe of the shoe, there was a small engraving of a three-tipped crown; the insignia of the Royals. Normally, this wouldn't have been sufficient evidence, but the town, Resembool, was not under the Royal's control, and they had no business to be there.

The shoe was only a foot away from a well-used path, from the looks of it, heading outside of the village limits. It looked like it was a fresh trail, and Roy knew it was the path the Cavalry had taken to exit Resembool. With the horseshoe in his pocket, Roy turned to head back to the boat, until something caught his eye.

Next to a destroyed house, there was a crumbling wooden barn. But he could have sworn he saw movement in one of the windows. Figuring there was no harm in checking it out, Roy cautiously walked to the demolished barn.

The inside was fairly bright, given the roof was falling apart and letting the sunlight come in. Random pieces of wood occasionally fell from the sides and added to the ash covered floor. Perhaps his eyes had been playing tricks on him, or maybe it was only a mouse. As he made a move to leave the unsteady building, Roy swore he heard a muffled cry.

He stopped in his tracks and turned his head to locate the cause of the noise, which sounded like it came from the corner of the barn that was destroyed. Even squinting his eyes, it was difficult for Roy to make anything out in the darker part of the building.

Out of nowhere, a fist-sized rock went flying through the air, missing Roy's head by several inches. He went into defensive mode, holding his hand in a snapping position, in case he had to perform flame alchemy.

"Go away!" Roy cocked his head and took a few steps closer towards the voice. It sounded like a child. A few seconds later, his suspicions were confirmed when he saw a young boy menacingly waving a broken stud around in the air. "I mean it!" Roy couldn't help but chuckle, and he knelt down on his knee to get a better look at the child.

What he saw was not all that surprising, but it still created a knot in his heart. The boy was holding a hand over his left eye, which was bleeding quite profusely. Next to him was a woman, their mother perhaps, but by judging her ghastly wounds she was most certainly dead. Beside the mother, there was another boy, but it was hard to tell if he was alive yet.

"Don't worry, I'm here to help." Roy spread his hands in the universal gesture of surrender. The boy dropped his makeshift weapon and used his empty hand to grasp his eye. Roy held out a hand, which the boy reluctantly grabbed, and pulled the child out of the debris. "Hurry up now, we have to leave."

"What about my brother?" Dealing with children so young was not something Roy knew how to do. It seemed a bit odd the boy didn't address his mother; unless he already realized there was nothing they could do for her.

"They're both dead." He put bluntly. They needed to leave before the entire barn fell down, and there was no time for desensitizing. "We need to go."

"Not without Brother!" The stubbornness of the child was infuriating, and if they didn't leave soon, they would be crushed from the debris. With a sigh, Roy leaned down again and looked into the boy's golden eye.

"What is your name?"

"A-alphonse." He stuttered and averted his glance to a spot on the floor.

"Well, Alphonse, I am sorry for your loss. If we don't get out of here, you will be dead, too." It was blunt, rash, but most importantly, true. Alphonse had to understand that, or he'd be doomed to death by being crushed.

At the most inconvenient of times, the boy lying next to the mother whimpered and groaned. "Please save my brother, mister." Alphonse looked into Roy's eyes and pleaded; he was practically on the verge of tears.

"Wait outside, and stay put." The little boy obliged and hurriedly dashed out of the barn. Once he was out of view and into safety, Roy crouched and moved closer to the child who was trapped underneath a support beam. "Stay still." He commanded, not that he expected the boy to be conscious enough to understand what he was saying.

The situation did not look promising; the boy's left leg was crushed, twisted at odd angles, and bleeding a dark ruddy color. If he managed to survive through that much blood loss, he'd be a cripple for the rest of his life. Still, if he was able to save the brother, at least Alphonse would not be alone.

Roy lifted the beam that was crushing the child, and he quickly grabbed one of his arms and pulled him out before the beam could fall back down. Getting the boy out in such a harsh way was not not a smart decision, but it was all he had time for.

"Mom." The boy grumbled and reached a hand for his mother. Roy scooped him in his arms and carried him out of the barn. The mumbles increased, and the boy sounded angrier the farther away they went from his mom. "Mom!" It was impressive he could holler with such ferocity when he was so gravely injured. Alphonse was patiently waiting outside like he was told, and he looked horrified when he saw what type of shape his brother was in.

Without hesitation, Roy set the injured boy on a patch of blackened grass, and he tore off a large piece of his blue cloak. He wrapped it tightly around the boy's leg to cut off the circulation, then he easily carried both boys over his shoulder so he could make his way back to the ship as soon as possible. The brother, whose name he didn't know, started to hit Roy on the back of his neck while crying out for his mother. The barn came crashing down, causing both boys to shriek.

"I'll drop you if you keep doing that." The boy was starting to get on his nerves with the constant hitting and yelling. That threat did not work in the slightest, if anything, it made matters worse.

"Captain!" Hawkeye called out and waved her hand when Roy was in view. He let out a breath of relief and quickened his pace so he could set the brothers down. Most of the black smoke that acted as a cover for Resembool had dissipated into the air, and the fires died down considerably. Occasionally, there were loud crashes from surrounding buildings falling down.

"Knox," Roy set the injured boy carefully in the ship's doctor's hands. "Take care of him first." Knox nodded, boarded the dinghy, and went to the ship as fast as he could so he could treat the boy's injuries right away. "Were there any other survivors?"

"Not that we know of, sir." Hawkeye replied solemnly.

"I thought as much. Once Knox takes care of the boys, we'll have to quicken our pace to make up all this lost time."

"Sir, what is your plan?" All eyes fell on him, even Alphonse's one uninjured eye. The young boy looked helpless and in a daze, and one little hand was grasping the fabric of Hawkeye's cape.

"As soon as they're both recovered, we'll send them to an orphanage up north."

"Sir…" Alphonse burrowed his face into the cloak, but Hawkeye didn't seem to mind there would now be a large bloodstain on her cerulean blue cloak.

"We don't have time or the means for raising two little brats."

"Sir, you realize what would happen if you sent them to an orphanage? We both know his brother will have no use of his leg." Hawkeye spoke quietly and calmly, while patting Alphonse's head. "He'll be a cripple. No one wants a deformed child, and you know he will be separated from his brother. Do you want that to happen?"

"They'll have to learn sooner or later the world is not a fair place. Might as well start now." As soon as the words slipped from his mouth, he knew he made a mistake. Hawkeye looked irate, and it seemed like she wanted to shoot him for saying such a thing.

"As soon as they reach adulthood, sir," the way she spoke was venomous and frightening, so Roy moved his gaze from anywhere but her eyes. "they'll leave the orphanage and live on the streets. Then they'll be nothing more but beggars and thieves. An absolute waste for society."

"What would you have me do?"

"We can provide for them much more adequately than any Royal orphanage, sir."

"By what? Condemning them to be pirates and criminals at an early age?"

"They both will become criminals, no matter what happens." Deep in his heart, Roy knew it was true. People wanted to adopt able-bodied children that were capable of doing farm work; no one wanted a disabled child.

"Fine, bring them with us. I am not taking care of them, and they will be in no way my responsibility. Understand?"

"Yes, sir. Fuery!" The boatswain of the ship hurried over to see what Hawkeye needed. "You will be in charge of the children."

"Yes, ma'am!" That was how things worked; there was no arguing or fighting, for the most part. Everyone followed Mustang and Hawkeye's orders with no backlash, and it was a system that worked well for them. Once Fuery ushered Alphonse towards the rest of the crew to make introductions, Roy could finally tell Hawkeye about his discovery, and he pulled the horseshoe out of his pocket.

"This is from the Royal cavalry; I know they were here. They nearly killed everyone off, but I don't know why."

"Should we tell the brothers?"

"No. We'll save that for another time, when they are ready. I want them to learn why the Royals are evil, but I don't want them to blindly hate the military. Also, we need to restock our coal supplies soon, otherwise we'll be running solely on wind power. I don't want to be vulnerable out at sea if there is no wind."

"Yes, sir." They watched the sparkling blue ocean until Resembool was out of sight. Roy hoped he made the right decision by taking in the orphaned boys.

 


	2. Chapter 2

It was all too much to take in. A lot happened in the past few hours, and Al was still frightened and jumpy. The people who rescued him were kind, and he felt like he could trust them. He didn't know if his brother would be okay; there had been a lot of blood.

The sky was now clear blue, the last remnants of the smoke from the massive attack vanished with the breeze. Once the wind began to pick up, the ocean became dotted with white-crested waves. A flock of seabirds flew overhead, making a much needed break in the silence.

Near the ship, Al could see three small boats making their way to the shore. They moved swiftly through the tumbling waves, and swarms of birds continued to fly above. "There's a storm approaching." The youngest person in the crew, Fuery, explained to Al. "We'll try making it to our base before it hits, don't worry." This was the man who would be taking care of Al for now. He seemed friendly enough, so Al was okay with it. Right now, the only thing he cared about was the well-being of his brother. "Okay, in you go." Fuery lifted Al carefully by looping his arms under the boy's armpits, then set him down gently in the small dinghy.

Al played in the ocean all the time, as there wasn't much else to do in their small seaside village. Despite being right next to the water for his whole life, he had never ridden in a boat before, and neither had his brother. Being in the dinghy was not bad, but upon seeing the size of the ship, the thought of boarding it was rather intimidating.

The ship's wood was stained a deep red color, with the word 'Peacemaker' painted in black letters across her side and several cannon slots were lined across the hull. Several ropes were tossed down from above when the lifeboat went into the correct position, and Fuery looped the metal hooks on the ends of the rope through the metal bars on the side of the dinghy.

They were pulled onto the deck, and Alphonse let out an awed gasp; the deck was even more impressive than he imagined. The masts were enormous, and it most likely looked even more magnificent when the sails were opened. Amazingly, Al saw something he thought he would never see on a ship; a tall, coal-black smoke stack in the center of the deck. It was a steam-powered sail ship, the best money could buy.

The only time he had seen a ship like it before was when Granny Pinako took him, Ed, and Winry to Central for a weekend trip, where they visited the Royal port. These kinds of ships belonged to the Navy, but he didn't think these people were from the military. They wore plain clothes that were typical of the higher middle class, which bore no military pins.

Al didn't know much about boats and the Royals, but he did know having a ship equipped with such heavy artillery and the design itself was illegal to own unless you were military personnel. There was no flag with a military crest flying overhead, or any flag at all.

"How are you feeling?" Al still had a hand pressed firmly over his eye, and he could still feel a slight trickle of blood flowing through his fingers.

"It hurts."

"I'm sorry." Fuery lowered his voice when they stepped down the metal stairs into the bowels of the ship. "We only have one doctor, and he's really busy now I'm afraid." Al knew the doctor was working with his brother, who needed more help than he did. "Hey, are you hungry?"

"Yes, sir." Al responded with a dull voice. He wanted to see his brother, or better yet, travel back through time so he could have found a way to prevent the barn from falling down in the first place.

"You can call me by my first name when the captain isn't around, if you like. He's just a pushover." Fuery knelt and held out his hand. "My name is Kain." Al held up his small hand, but retreated it when he saw it was covered in blood.

"Sorry." He muttered.

"It's okay." Kain kept his hand out, so Al grabbed it.

"I'm Al."

"Here," Kain was searching through his pockets and pulled out a bandana. "Use this so you can have both of your hands free." For the first time, Al let both of his hands go so Kain could wrap the cloth around his head, which did a sufficient job covering his injured eye.

Kain pushed a door open, which had a worn out painting of a sailfish nailed in the center of it. The strong scent of cooked fish filled the air, which nearly caused Al to salivate. "What have we here?" The new, deeper voice caused Al to jump, and he spun his head so his good eye could see where the voice came from. The new person was a large young man, and he was flipping fish on the stovetop.

"This is Al, and he will be staying with us for a while. Al, this is Heymans Breda, the finest cook on the sea." As Kain introduced him, Heymans stuffed a piece of shrimp in his mouth.

"Hello." Heymans managed to say while he gulped down the steaming food. Al meagerly waved a hand while eyeing the freshly cooked food. "Oh, Fuery, we ran out of water. Tell the captain we need to acquire more, unless he plans on drinking wine for the next month."

"Of course." Before Kain could make his way to the door, Mustang walked in the cafeteria.

"Speak of the devil." Heymans muttered under his breath.

"Fuery, I need you for a moment." Mustang crossed his arms and looked at their newest inhabitant of the ship.

"Yes, sir. Alright, Al, you stay here with Breda. I'll be back soon." Al nodded his head, then started to eat up the food the cook offered him. Once he was settled, Kain slipped out of the kitchen area and into the hallway with Mustang.

"How is the boy doing?"

"Fine, I suppose. He seems fairly shy and scared. I think he is worried about his brother, and I think everything that happened today is starting to sink into him."

"Yes, that is expected. His brother isn't faring as well, I'm afraid." Mustang scratched his chin, like he was thinking, but unsure of what to do. "It needs to come off."

"Uh, sir?"

"The boy's leg needs to be amputated, or he will die from infection."

"But we're all out of medical supplies." Kain pointed out; the entire ship was running low on everything. As soon as they reached base, they could restock enough supplies in order to pillage a Royal ship.

"Yes, I am aware. Come with me, I think it will help the boy if there are more people around." Kain obediently followed his superior into the makeshift doctor's room and braced himself. The place smelled like metal, sweat, and blood, which was normal, since this particular room had not been scrubbed down in several weeks.

Suddenly, Kain realized no one knew what the child's name was. He was simply referred to as "Al's brother', or, 'the boy'. It would be nice to know his name before they started the procedure, but he was unconscious, so they couldn't ask him anyway.

Kain noticed Al had a tanned skin tone, which was not uncommon for Southern Amestris. His brother, however, had much darker skin, as if they were not natives of Amestris at all. They both seemed to be from somewhere closer to the desert.

The boy was laying down on a small, wooden bench, which had a thick blanket thrown on it for padding. His left leg was mangled, twisted at odd angles, and it was covered with dark blood. The kid's breathing was rapid, and he looked like he was going to be sick.

"Should we wake him up?"

"No need, he'll be awake in a few seconds whether he wants to be or not." Doctor Knox sardonically replied while getting his few tools ready. "Captain, grab me my bonesaw. Fuery, fetch me some towels." Both men hurried to grab the designated supplies; here, the doctor was in charge and he gave all of the orders, trumping even the captain.

They didn't have drugs to help ease the pain. Sure, they had alcohol, but it would most likely end up being lethal giving the boy enough whiskey to make him feel nothing. Since they were left with nothing at all to dumb down the upcoming excruciating pain, they could only hope the boy wouldn't die from shock.

Kain grabbed a thick piece of leather from a counter, along with several unused dark towels. He hurried over to the boy's side so they could quickly get the operation over with. Using one of the smaller towels as a tourniquet, Kain tied it directly under the boy's knee, and right above where Knox would be performing the amputation. "Does this look good?" He asked to make sure it was tight enough.

"That'll do. I am going to start now." The doctor stated when Mustang gathered the few necessary tools onto a small table next to the bench. Kain knelt down in order to be eye level with the child, and he grabbed his small hand. The boy's eyes flickered open, which were just as golden as his brother's.

"Here you go, bite on this." Kain moved the leather towards the boy's mouth, but he didn't bite down. Instead, he seemed to realize what was happening and turned his head away with a shriek. "Come on, you have to do this. Your brother is waiting across the hall." That seemed to peek the boy's interest and he moved his head to look at Kain.

"My brother? Is he all right?"

"He will be fine, but you can't see him until you're all better."

"No, you have to help him now! This is all my fault, please, help him first."

"Sorry, little guy," Mustang spoke up, eyeing the saw on the table. The boy twitched his eyes when the captain spoke, but before he could say anything, Mustang interrupted. "but you have far more severe injuries than your brother. Understand?" The boy blankly stared while twiddling his fingers together. After a few seconds of silence, Mustang lost his patience and grew tired of waiting for a response. "Alright, then, time to take it off."

"What?!" The child squeaked, then held up his hands defensively. "No, stay away from me!" He tried to drag himself away, but only succeeded in nearly falling off the bench, which would have further injured him.

"The captain is an idiot." Knox mumbled so only Kain could hear him.

"You're going to have to calm down while we do this, or you'll die." Instead of calming down the child, he seemed to go in hysterics with tears rolling down his face.

"Captain." Knox said with a heavy tone, then he raised a hand and thumped Mustang on the back of his head. "Stop being an utter moron." A bit hurt, the captain stepped aside and wisely stopped talking. The doctor turned all of his attention to his patient, and he ignored his sulking superior.

"It's okay, boy, you'll be fine. Your leg is too smashed up to save, and we have to get rid of it, understand?" The child nodded his head measly, but he still tried to inch away from the medical table. "I'm not going to lie, this will hurt a lot, but once it's over, you'll get better."

"I'm going to be sick." It wasn't all that shocking, especially for someone who had never been on a ship before, plus the fact his leg was a mangled mess. So when he gagged and puked on the bench, no one was surprised and they worked around it. Kain was holding the boy's hand yet to help keep him still; he couldn't believe such a small child could squeeze so tight.

"How does your leg feel now?" Knox questioned while grabbing the saw.

"I-I don't feel it." The boy stammered, the pitch of his voice increased with every word.

"Good, this won't be so bad. You're going to need that." Knox pointed to the strip of leather the boy had knocked down earlier. "We don't want you to bite your tongue off, now do we?" Eagerly, the boy grabbed the strip and stuck it between his teeth, then bit down.

"Are you ready?" The boy nodded again and stared at the ceiling, this time, without fidgeting. Mustang moved to the other side of the bench, so he'd be out of the way, but close enough in case he was needed.

Kain squinted his eyes, not really wanting to look at the leg, but his curiosity got the best of him. The boy's foot was bent at a ninety degree angle, just above his ankle. He could see bits of bone through the flesh and blood closer to the knee, which made him feel queasy, so he averted his eyes back on the poor boy's face. The hand squeezed tighter when the faint sawing sound began.

Immediately, the boy swung his other hand around and clutched onto Mustang's arm, making him grunt in surprise. With every little sound of the blade sawing through the leg, both Kain and Roy cringed, and they could feel the boy's strong grip increasing. The child groaned, but his screams of agony were muffled by the leather stuffed in his mouth.

After several minutes, which seemed more like hours, the boy lost consciousness as Knox finished cutting off the destroyed limb. The boy's grip went slack and his hands fell to his sides, so Kain seized his opportunity by helping Knox tie the towels and bandages around the gushing wound.

"Do you need me to-" Mustang started to ask, but he was stopped by Knox.

"No. Wouldn't want to burn the ship on accident. Now we wait and see how he copes; if he's strong enough, he'll pull through this with no problems. I need to check on his brother, if you two don't mind."

Quickly, the two men left the room and made their way to the cafeteria. "Al?" Kain asked since the boy wasn't sitting at a table in sight.

"We're in here." Heymans' muffled voice called from inside the kitchen. Mustang sat down at a table and ate a heavily bruised apple while Kain pulled the kitchen door open. Heymans and Alphonse were peeling the last of the ship's potatoes, which wasn't a large amount, for their supper a few hours later.

"The doctor wants to see you now, Al."

"My brother; is he okay?" Al's head peeked up and he lowered his paring knife, nearly dropping the potato.

"He should recover normally, but it is going to take some time. You should be worried about yourself right now."

"Can I see him?"

"Maybe later, after you are checked, alright?"

"Okay." Kain gave Al a gentle pat on the back and escorted him back to the doctor's room. Knox was waiting, and he opened the door as soon as Kain knocked, ushering Alphonse inside. There was a large sheet sectioning of part of the room, no doubt that's where Al's brother was.

"Before I check you, would you mind answering a few questions?"

"Sure." The boy responded passively, and Kain decided to stay with him so he wouldn't feel as lonely.

"How old are you?"

"I'm eight, and Edward is nine." Al's gaze moved to the blanket that divided the room, and he balled up a bit of his shirt into his hands.

"Edward is your brother?" Al nodded his head slightly and he looked back at the doctor. "Don't worry, he should get better in a few weeks. When he's conscious, we'll let you see him, okay?

"Okay." He sported a small smile, which made both men feel better. Hopefully, things would be going their way in the strenuous weeks to come.


	3. Chapter 3

Doctor Knox was able to stop the bleeding from Al's eye in a short amount of time. The wound was clean and posed little to no risk of infection, but he wasn't all clear yet. When asked to cover his right eye, he couldn't make anything out with the other one. He'd be permanently blind in his left eye, but at least it would be a fairly easy obstacle to overcome. His brother, on the other hand, was a completely different story.

Al had yet to see his brother, but the doctor told him he'd have to wait until the next day. If Ed had too many things going around him at once, he'd be far more susceptible to shock. With the limited supplies the ship had, going into shock could prove fatal for the little boy. Kain knew all too well what it was like to lose an older brother, he didn't want Alphonse to go through that.

Kain had always been the youngest member on the ship, he had an inkling that's why he'd been chosen to watch over Al. He knew nothing about taking care of kids, even if he was still considered one himself. It's not that he was angry or upset, he was worried he would mess up. The last time he'd interacted with anyone his age or younger was when he was fifteen; gosh, had it really been three years already? Time was supposed to heal all wounds, but the memory was fresh in his mind like it only happened yesterday.

* * *

The western breeze brought a salty scent into the air. It was autumn, the leaves were various shades of red and yellow. Despite the season, it was quite warm. The town of Fotcett was in the southern sector of Amestris, so the winters were fairly mild. Being near the coast however meant they were often struck with winter typhoons. All of the citizens worked together to support the flood walls with sandbags and they boarded up all windows with whatever scrap wood they could find.

The winter months were a dark and gloomy time because of that, but Kain accepted it as a part of life. He longed to leave someday, but not before he could change his friends' and family's lives for the better.

When he was only five, his mom found herself trapped in a cellar during one of the storms. A small search party went and looked for her, but were forced to return to safety when the typhoon grew stronger. If they had known which shelter she was in, they could have saved her. If she had a way to communicate her location, she would have been fine. After three days, the storm died down and his mother was finally found. She had passed away from a concussion and dehydration.

Ever since then, he made sure every storm shelter was stocked with a ten day supply of water and enough candles to burn for three days. He and his brother, Caleb, collected scrap pieces of metal and wires to build radios. When there was a stubborn radio that was beyond fixing by Kain's means, Caleb would patch it up with alchemy. It was risky, but it was worth it. Because of them, every home was fitted with an emergency radio in order to prevent any more needless deaths.

The noon siren blared throughout the city and the clouds above were low and ominous; a big storm was fast approaching. Kain quickly picked out a loaf of bread and put it in his bag along with the copper wires and iron slabs he purchased earlier. He gave the baker a silver coin and didn't bother with getting the change back. She was always sneaking cupcakes and other sweets into his bag when he wasn't looking. He wasn't sure if it was because she was grateful for what he did for the town, or if it was because she had a crush on him. Caleb assured him it was a combination of the two. Kain blushed lightly and he trotted down the main road with the heavy bag carefully wrapped in his arms.

Citizens waved at him as he walked by. Since his hands were full, he smiled at them in return. One of them called out and offered him a carriage ride back to his home, but he declined. His family's farm was only a kilometer away from the town, and he liked to stay in shape by walking. When winter rolled around, he'd gladly accept the free rides, until then, he was going to enjoy the mild weather.

"Hey, wait for me!" Kain stopped and saw his brother running after him.

"Oh, I thought you were leaving town early today." Kain smiled at his brother and they walked together down the brick road.

"I was going to, but then I saw this." Caleb reached into his bag and pulled out a small container of sugar.

"What's that for?" Kain frowned a little. Sugar was an expensive commodity, and they weren't exactly well off, especially since they didn't charge for their radio services.

"I want to make Dad an apple cake, like the ones mom used to make. I thought it'd be a nice surprise for him to come home to." Their dad was away for the week selling eggs and wool, he was supposed to be home the next day.

"That's actually a nice idea, but how did you pay for it?"

"Worry not, little brother. Your big bro has things taken care of." That translated to 'I'm up to no good'.

"Caleb," Kain lowered his voice even though no one was around anymore, "what did you do?" Caleb looked around and whispered back when he deemed the coast clear.

"I transmutted some of the metal from our scrap wires into silver coins."

"Brother!" Kain gasped. They agreed Caleb would only perform alchemy on radios that physically couldn't be fixed, or during an emergency. Baking a cake, while a nice thought, didn't qualify as either of those. "What if you're caught?"

"Relax, no one saw me do it."

"I worry about you."

"Hey, now, none of that. I'm the older one, I'm supposed to worry about you, not the other way around. So, did Sarah put any sweets in your bag today?" Kain ignored the change of subject and hid a sheepish grin.

"Not this time, I left too quick."

"If you're not careful, some other guy might come around and sweep her off her feet."

"So? She's just a friend. She only gives me the extra pastries because she's being nice." Kain couldn't hide his reddening cheeks fast enough. He never was able to hide anything from his brother.

"Uh huh, sure." Caleb playfully tousled his brother's hair with his free hand. "Whatever you say."

Kain stuck his tongue out, then nearly tripped when the brick road made its transition to dirt. If he had a silver piece every time he stumbled in that same spot, he'd be rather rich. His lack of gracefulness made his brother laugh, but Kain wasn't smiling anymore. There was a stream of dark smoke billowing from behind a tree-covered hill; his home was over there.

"Caleb, did you put wood in the fireplace?" His brother stopped laughing and his cheerful expression was exchanged with one of concern.

"No, it's not cold enough for that yet." They glanced at one another and jogged over the hill, only to be met with a horrific scene; their house was on fire. Caleb dropped his bag and ran to the blazing flames. Kain set his bag down and sprinted as fast as he could to join his brother.

A thunderclap startled the both of them and rain splattered the dry earth. The drops were heavy, but it wouldn't be enough to extinguish the mighty fire. Their home was destroyed and there would be nothing left to salvage. Lightning crackled in the darkening sky, followed immediately by the high rumble of thunder. The storm grew more malicious by the second, and they were stranded with no shelter to go for safety.

"We have to go!" Caleb shouted as he yanked on Kain's arm with ferocity. Kain had always been slower than his brother, so he felt rather helpless as Caleb took the lead, still dragging him along by the arm. The dirt road was now a muddy river, it didn't make running any easier.

Kain lost his footing just before the road was at the point where it was bricked and he slid a good ten yards.

"Dammit!" He shouted and tried to steady himself. Before he stood up, he could tell his ankle was sprained, and with the worst possible timing, too. Caleb helped him up and supported his weight as they continued downhill.

"It's not your fault, just keep moving." The descent wasn't exactly slow going, but they weren't making great time. They'd both be lucky to get out of the ordeal without getting sick from being drenched.

"Hello?" Kain looked up to see who his brother could possibly be addressing. In the middle of the road, there was a man with a white cloak draped over his head and shoulders. On the right side of the cloak there was a design of a three-pronged crown sewn in. "Are you lost? Come with us, we can help you find shelter."

"Are you Caleb Fuery?" The man had a low voice that was nearly inaudible due to the noise of the storm. Caleb tensed and sucked in a breath, then he placed a hand on Kain's chest to move him backwards.

"Who wants to know?"

"I'm asking the questions here." Another flash of lightning illuminated the gray sky. "Are you Caleb Fuery?"

"Okay, fine, ya got me. Now we really need to get out-" The man cut off Caleb before he could finish his sentence.

"Section 22, article 4." Kain's heart beat fast, it was hard to distinguish it from the constant thunder. "The practice of alchemy is strictly forbidden."

"I love you." Caleb only said it loud enough so his brother could hear it, then he forcibly pushed Kain into the muddy ground. A moment later, a gunshot rang out, only to be drowned by thunder and pouring rain. Kain yelped as his brother's body fell down.

"Brother!" Kain cried while scooting towards Caleb. His eyes were open and unmoving, even as the raindrops hit them. "Stop messing around, this isn't funny!" He hit his brother and shook his arms as hard as he could, hoping to entice a reaction. Caleb's blank expression didn't falter and Kain retched when he saw the blood on his hands.

"He didn't tell me there were two." Kain snapped his head around and saw the man, his brother's murderer, walking towards him with a gun carefully aimed at his head.

"Why?" Kain croaked out, barely audible. The rain stung his face and he couldn't feel his legs. More lightning broke up the uniformity of the blackening clouds. Why must the storms always bring with them chaos? "Why would you-?" The sound of the gun clicking interrupted him. How pathetic he must have looked, sprawled out over his brother's body looking helplessly at his soon to be killer.

He closed his eyes as the gun fired.

He'd always wondered if there was an afterlife, and he wondered what it would be like. He liked to think his mother would be there waiting for him; his brother too. It'd be warm and there'd be no more typhoons. There would be no need for money, and they could eat homemade cakes every day. But there was a problem. He still felt cold and rain continued to pelt every inch of his body. Thunder echoed and he shook uncontrollably. With great care, he opened his eyes.

The sky was still dark, save for the occasional flash of lightning. His brother was splayed beneath him, still warm. The unknown man was on the ground, but he was still breathing.

"Damn it all!" A voice from behind him called out. Kain didn't bother to look, he didn't care anymore. "We didn't save both of them."

"Stop, Captain." This time it was a woman's voice who spoke.

"We were so close, I failed. If we came only a few seconds earlier-"

"Captain, pull yourself together." Two pairs of boots came into Kain's view, both of them were covered in mud. The woman knelt down and draped her blue cloak over Kain's shoulders. "You're safe now." Her voice was pleasant and he sensed no ill will from her. "We'll bring you home."

"It's gone." Kain choked on a sob, he felt hopeless.

"Where's your family?"

"Gone." He looked at his brother, knowing it to be true. Kain couldn't face his father like this. What would he say when he found out Kain had hid behind his brother like a coward? He readily accepted death. His family was gone.

"Sir, what should we do?" She spoke to the other man. The stranger knelt down and he slung his cloak over Kain's shivering body.

"He can come with us if he'd like." Kain knew he had nowhere else to go. These people seemed nice enough, it seemed better than wandering the forests on his own.

"Please let me go with you." He hadn't meant to beg, but he felt so weak. "Please."

"Alright, up you go." The man stood up and helped Kain get to his feet. He used the man as a crutch since his foot was still in a lot of pain.

"What about my brother?" It seemed wrong to let Caleb lie there in the rain. That was his brother, he couldn't leave him there alone.

"Sorry, we don't have much time. There'll be people coming soon." The man mumbled sympathetically. It hadn't occurred to Kain that these people were fugitives, but that's what seemed to be the case.

"Captain, the Royal is still alive." The Royals? So that murderer was a part of the military? Nothing made sense, but he didn't care. His mind was foggy and he was freezing.

"Where did you shoot him?"

"The gut, sir."

"Good, let's go. We have to keep moving." They trekked uphill through the river of mud. The two strangers stood on opposite sides of Kain to keep him both warm and balanced.

"Who are you?" He asked while his eyes flittered; he felt like he would pass out at any moment.

"My name is Roy, and she's Riza." Roy sounded exhausted, but he did not stop supporting Kain.

"You're in good hands." Riza stated while making sure Kain didn't slip. He knew they were hiding something, but his instincts told him their intentions were good.

Kain looked down the hill one last time to get a glimpse of his fallen brother. He would never forget what the Royals had done.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Kain looked down and saw Al's concerned face looking up at him.

"Sorry, I'm alright. Say, how about I take you around and introduce you to the crew?"

"Okay!" Al beamed, and Kain couldn't help but smile. Kids often found the highest pleasures in the smallest of things. Maybe it would be easier to take care of the boys than he thought.

Kain led his small charge down the hallway and into the door with the painting of a sailfish.

"I know you've been in this room already, but I thought this would be a great place to start. This area is called the galley, it's where all of our food is made." The galley was split into two main parts; the cooking area and the sitting area. What separated the room were simply old wooden crates topped with a slab of limestone, making it a makeshift counter. The seating area had three small wooden tables with enough room to seat thirty people. The walls were lined with wine and produce barrels. Kain noted the vegetable barrels were extremely low.

"You've already met Heymans." He pointed at Breda who was resting on a chair next to the stovetop. "That's his assistant, John." John waved lazily and continued chopping carrots and celery.

"Why does he need an assistant if he's the best cook?" It was an innocent enough question, but Kain looked at Breda nervously. He didn't want to overstep any boundaries while giving the boy a tour of the ship.

"Alphonse, you wanna look at the kitchen?" Al nodded and stood in front of Heymans. Kain followed since he hadn't been in the galley in a long time. Knives and spoons were carefully strung to the walls, various pots and pans dangled from the ceiling. The stove had a massive pot of soup boiling, which John tossed the vegetables into. At first glance the room seemed like a disaster, but it was organized chaos. Kain wondered what Heymans was up to. "Being a cook can be crazy sometimes, it's nice to have help. Besides, if I didn't have John, who would make the food when I'm sick?"

"Do you get sick a lot?" Alphonse asked while watching John dice an onion. Kain knew the gist of Heymans' condition, but he never pried further into it.

"Yes, but it's not contagious, don't worry." Heymans looked at Kain and nodded.

"Okay, thanks for showing us the galley. We still have a lot of places to see." Kain ushered Al up a set of stairs to the main deck. The wind picked up quite considerably since leaving the mainland. Large waves smashed into the hull, causing the ship to rock back and forth ever so slightly. In the distance, dark low clouds disrupted the blue sky.

"The Peacemaker is what's called a steamship; it's run by both wind and steam power. The stokehold is where we burn coal to boil water to create steam. The steam is transmitted into the engine room, which is located in the aft." He pointed his thumb backwards. "I'd take you there to check it out, but it's a dangerous place."

"The back of the ship is called the stern, the front is the bow. You'll want to learn these terms eventually." There was a lot of terminology to learn, it had taken Kain a couple weeks until he had it all memorized. Occasionally a fellow crew member would throw a slang term at him and catch him off guard. He still remembered Heymans laughing at him when he was stumped by the word fo'c'sle. A sailor mentioned to him the fo'c'sle needed light repairs and he nearly drove himself crazy trying to figure out what it meant. Heymans had been kind enough to inform him it was a shortened term for forecastle.

"The biggest sail is called the mainsail, the mizzen is located behind that one. The jib is that smallest sail up there." Kain pointed at the triangular sail near the front of the ship. "Each sail is controlled by a sheet. If you ever see one of the sheets loose, notify someone immediately." He had to deal with a broken sheet two years earlier; it hadn't been a fun time. They had to stop sailing until the problem was fixed.

"When we're on the deck, it's called topside." Kain led Al to the bow, making note the storm seemed to be getting closer. "This part is called the keel. It helps keep the ship balanced." He patted the piece of wood that jutted out and looped downwards.

"Up those stairs is the quarterdeck, that's where the officers' rooms are." On top of the quarterdeck was where the helm was located, it was the place where the captain was most often found. "I know this is a lot of information, and there's still lots to learn, but trust me, it's important."

"Thank you. You sure do know a lot." Kain smiled, but he was careful to not let the pride get to his head. Before the brothers' arrival, he'd been the one on the ship with the least amount of sea experience. Still, he couldn't help but be happy that Al thought he was a worthy teacher. "So what do you do?"

"I'm the boatswain, I'm in charge of keeping the ship and crew in order. If there's a crack in the hull, I send someone to fix it. If the bay deck is dirty, I send a sailor to clean it. When we dock, I'm in charge of the rigging and make sure all repairs are taken care of before we set sail. I'm also in charge of communications and making sure all of our radios are in working condition."

Al didn't seem disappointed, but he didn't exactly look impressed either. Maybe he had been expecting Kain to be a first mate or something like that. His job may not seem exciting, but it was a vital one. Everyone on the ship had an important role, no matter how frivolous it seemed.

"Ah, so this is where our bosun has gone." Kain sighed as Havoc walked down the stairs. One of the steps creaked, Kain made a mental note to have that checked later.

"Alphonse, this is Jean Havoc. He's the quartermaster, that means he's the main helmsman. He's the one who supervises my decisions." Havoc was a nice guy, he really was, but Kain couldn't help but twitch his eyes when his superior grinned at the explaination.

"I heard the Captain put you in babysitting duty." Havoc leaned against the railing and tilted his head slightly. "Hi there, you can call me Jean." He reached his arm out and shook Al's hand. Havoc watched the oncoming clouds and looked at Kain once more. "Guess you're not the baby of the ship anymore."

"I'm not a baby!" Al protested. Kain admired his enthusiasm and he smiled.

"'Course not." A flash of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by the low rumble of thunder. The sailors worked quickly to close the sails before the storm hit; soon they'd be running solely on steam power. Havoc's playful tone transformed into a more formal one. "Fuery, have you completed your duties?"

"No, I still need to inspect the rigging and log the crew's hours." Another lightning bolt illuminated the gloomy sky. Gentle raindrops pattered against the wooden deck, accompanied by the sound of the mighty sails flapping and the occasional crack of thunder. Kain shuddered and tried his best to not think about the storm.

"Go to your room with Al and finish the logs. I'll take care of the rigging."

"Thank you, sir." His racing heart slowed down, but his mind was not at ease. The wind howled and ushered in heavier rain, thankfully the sails were nearly closed.

"Don't worry about it." Kain was embarrassed and ashamed with himself. Every time a storm rolled over he tended to shut down and panic. Havoc and a few others knew about his situation, but the ones who didn't would stare at him with ridicule. He didn't know how he was going to earn respect if he couldn't handle a simple storm. "You're going to be fine." Havoc patted his shoulder and left to check the rigging.

Kain grabbed Al's hand and he led him inside to the officers' quarters. His room was the first on the left, it seemed rather lonely since the co-navigator was on a leave of absence and no longer roomed with him. Notebooks and half written papers rested neatly on the desk along with a few pencils. Loose wires and radio parts lay strewn on the spare bed, Kain removed them and placed them neatly on the desk while brushing aside the writing utensils.

"Alright, this is where you'll be staying."

"But what about Ed?"

"He needs to stay where the doctor can supervise him. There's no extra room in the berthing quarters, so you'll need to stay here for now. Don't worry, this is temporary." Kain remembered to place himself in Al's shoes; he had recently lost his mother and his only living relative was recovering from a potentially life threatening surgery. It must be a confusing and frustrating time for him, Kain sympathized.

"Okay." Al looked at the ship blueprint charts on the walls and he plopped himself onto the unkempt bed. "What's that?" He pointed a small finger to a small black device hidden away on a shelf. Kain grabbed the small radio and held it in front of Al so he could see it better. It was smaller than most radios and it had a thick wire sticking precariously from the top.

"It's a wireless handheld radio, I can talk into it and the person with the other one can respond. It's like a phone, but there's no wires."

"Does it work?"

Kain pressed the gray button and started talking into the speaker, "Hello, do you read me?" He released the button and was greeted with static. After a few seconds of white noise, he flicked the off switch.

"Why didn't anyone answer you?" Al looked fascinated with Kain's invention.

"My brother has the only other one." Kain put the radio back on the shelf and he sat on his bed. The grumble of thunder was greatly muffled within the walls of the ship.

"What happened to him?" It was an innocent enough question, but it was one that was not easy to answer.

"I'm going to let you know something important. On this ship, there's an unspoken rule; we don't ask anyone about their history. Everyone here has a story, some more painful than others. If someone wants you to know their story, they'll tell you." Al looked down and scrunched his blanket.

"I'm sorry." He laid his head on the pillow and nestled himself into the mattress. "Thank you for showing me the ship."

"You're welcome. Good night."

"G'night."

Kain sighed and wrote a few notes down in his journal. Al was a smart kid who still had a lot to learn. He was kind and respectful, Kain was thankful for that. Maybe taking care of a child would be easier than he thought.

* * *

The only source of light was a small crack underneath the door. Kain's light snoring was accompanied with a light pitter patter from the rain. Al kicked off his blankets and made his way carefully to the door, hoping he wouldn't have to go too far to find a bathroom. He walked out of the room and noted the hallway had four identical doors. Taking a gamble, Al opened the door to the room next to Kain's.

It was lit by a lamp on the desk, and the room smelled faintly of cigar smoke. Both beds were made and the only poster on the wall was a world map. A bookcase caught Al's eye and he walked towards it, forgetting he was trespassing.

Most of the books were old with yellowed pages and worn covers. He didn't recognize most of them, a lot seemed to be filled with charts and military terms. A leather book with gold lettering on the bottom shelf stood out from the rest, 'The Science of Alchemy'. Al delicately pulled it out and flipped through the pages, admiring the illustrations of transmutations and formulas for the circles. He didn't know of anyone who dared to keep an alchemy book out in the open for all to see, it was unheard of. Inside the cover was a written name, 'Roy Mustang'.

Al didn't remember much about what happened before boarding the ship, things had been too chaotic. All he could remember for sure was the captain nearly left his brother behind. The only type of people who would have an alchemy book lying around were the types who lived above the law. Al wasn't sure if he liked the captain.

The sound of people talking interrupted his thoughts and he panicked when he remembered this wasn't his room to snoop. He hurried himself and hid inside of the armoire, careful not to make a noise when he shut the doors.

"-spotted forty kilometers northeast." A woman's voice spoke and Al remembered her name was Hawkeye. She had been kind to him, he trusted her.

"We don't have the supplies to pillage a Royal ship." So they were pirates! As much as Al loved his mom's folk stories about pirates, he knew they were typically up to no good. Sometimes his mom used to tell him tales of pirates who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Maybe these guys were good. Kain treated him kindly and with respect, he didn't see how he could be a bad guy. "We need to restock before we make further action."

"I agree, sir. What are we going to do with those brothers?" The captain didn't respond right away, so Al could only assume he paused to think on it.

"We'll stay at port until the older one is in stable condition. I'll let them decide what to do from there." The captain chuckled. "Can you imagine the look on the Royals' faces if they found out the mighty Flame was stopped because of two little children?"

Al audibly gasped, then quickly clamped his mouth. He heard many stories about the infamous Flame Pirate; he burned villages and towns, killed innocent people, and he was well known for never showing mercy.

Al's heart thumped rapidly as the footsteps came closer to his hiding place. What would the captain do to him? Would he hurt Ed, too?

"Spying is often considered a capital offense." The voice sounded to be directly in front of the armoire door. Al shrank back as far as physically possible, he felt like a rabbit hiding from a wolf. The door swung open, the light blinded his eye momentarily. Mustang's rough expression quickly turned into a confused one.

"Alphonse? Hmmm, Fuery will-"

"No, don't hurt him!" Al cried out, cutting off the captain.

"What gave you that idea?" Mustang looked hurt, but that couldn't be right. This man had no remorse or morals.

"Sir," Hawkeye muttered, "he's scared of you."

"Oh." He knelt down so he was below eye level with Al. "I didn't mean to frighten you. You're safe here, I promise." Mustang seemed genuine, his face didn't appear to be the one of someone who was evil.

"You're the Flame Pirate." Al stated obviously, not sure what else to say.

"Ah, so I am. I bet you've heard lots of stories about me. I burn cities to the ground in seconds. I have a loyal crew of the undead that you can hear wailing when the night is still. There's monstrous beasts roaming the ship, constantly on the lookout for blood. When kids don't eat their vegetables, I sick my attack chimera on them. I bet you also heard my ship is as black as the moonless sky."

The captain had a point; Al's babysitter used to tell him if he snuck sweets out of the kitchen after bedtime, the Flame Pirate would come after him. The ship was an ordinary ship filled with a normal crew.

"Don't believe everything you hear, trust in these." Mustang pointed at his eyes. He was right, Al couldn't trust folk stories and rumors.

"I'm sorry."

Mustang smiled and glanced quickly at Hawkeye, like he was proud of what he had done. "It's alright. Will you come out now?" Al nodded and climbed out of the wardrobe, careful not to knock anything over. "So, you like alchemy?"

The alchemy book was still on the floor. Normally his reaction was to feign ignorance as it was the safest option to not know what alchemy was in the first place. Here, however, he knew he was safe.

"Yes."

"You can borrow this, if you'd like." Mustang grabbed the book and placed it into Al's hands. The captain's face lit up like he had came up with a brilliant idea. "Follow me." The captain stood up and walked towards the door. "We'll finish this talk later." He called out to Hawkeye as he shut the bedroom door.

Together, Al and Mustang walked down a set of stairs below deck. Their steps echoed in the hallway and all else was silent. They walked through a door and Al was surprised to discover it was the doctor's room.

"What-?" Al started to say, but Mustang shushed him.

Ed was silently sleeping on a bed, his chest rose up and down slowly. His body was covered with a thick sheet, and Al noticed the lack of a bump where his brother's left leg should be. The floor was shiny, it no doubt had been scrubbed since the amputation procedure.

"You can stay here tonight" The captain whispered. "Read your book, but don't wake him up. He needs all the rest he can get."

"Thank you." Al managed to croak out.

"No problem, squirt. Fuery will get you up in the morning." With that, Mustang left Al to be alone with Ed, and doctor Knox of course.

Al flipped to the first page in the alchemy book and eagerly began reading while glancing at his brother every so often.

Captain Mustang wasn't a bad guy after all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I checked this chapter for errors and simultaneously posted this at midnight, let's hope my editing skills are good this late.
> 
> I have some lovely fanart I posted this chapter from ask-royai-lty on tumblr. I posted a link to their blog underneath the images. Thanks again, you're awesome!

 

 

[ask-royai-lty from tumblr made these lovely art pieces!](http://ask-royai-lty.tumblr.com/post/147682054888/sooo-i-remembered-this-fanfic-i-read-months-ago)

* * *

The morning sun peeked over the turquoise horizon, sending with it brilliant rays of orange. Many of the clouds were pink, which reflected upon the sea water below. It looked like a painting labored intensely over for the course of several years. In a few hours, the sun would rise and destroy the masterpiece forever, incapable of feeling remorse for doing so. Beauty was merely temporary, as was sadness. Jealousy, vengeance, and anger; all temporary. The sea they sailed on would one day become a desert full of salt deposits. Perhaps the sand-filled wastelands to the east would transform into a lush forest or lagoon, ushering in thousands of new plant and animal lives. The world was ever changing, always in a state of unrest and metamorphosis. Riza prefered it that way.

A seagull flew overhead, trilling for all to hear as it landed on the deck, scavenging for any scraps of food. One of the crew members shooed it away, that way they wouldn’t have to clean up after it when it would inevitably release its bowels all over the polished wood. It was a doomed task keeping the pesky birds away. When they reached the port, the ship would be covered in white goop no matter how hard they attempted to keep the gulls at bay.

Over the past week, the sailing had been smooth. The waves were mild, no violent storms struck them, and a steady breeze kept their sails afloat. No ships, friend nor foe, were within a comfortable fifty kilometer radius. That didn’t necessarily mean things were peaceful, they still had the situation with the two orphaned brothers to figure out.

The captain handled the situation with Alphonse surprisingly well, seeing as he rarely interacted with children. Before that, Fuery had been the last child he worked with, but he was fifteen at the time; only one year shy of being the legal age for enlisting in the military. Al and Ed were nearly half the age Fuery had been when she and Mustang took him under their wings. Still, Mustang acted like an awkward teen instead of the sea hardened captain he was when dealing with the orphans. At least he was trying.

Riza stood confidently on the quarterdeck, watching the crew perform their daily tasks. By looking at them, she knew what jobs they had, or at least a basic understanding. Those who wore tight fitting clothes and hair wrapped up worked near the rigging; they couldn’t afford to get stuck in the ropes. The people who had baggier and lighter garments tended to work within the ship. They didn’t need to worry about being snared in rigging, but there was the heat to think about. Finally, there were crew members like herself. She and the other higher ups wore loose fitting jackets over tight shirts. If there was a problem that needed addressing, they could easily ditch the coats and fix the issue without worrying about the sails and ropes.

Gradually, the sun rose and the pink clouds faded to white. A speck of land was visible in the distance, Riza knew it was Yanni Island. It was one of their many bases, this one happened to be the closest to the mainland. Time was of the essence in this case. Yanni Island was by no means a bad place, but she wouldn’t feel comfortable with her crewmates wandering its streets after dusk. Edward needed a calm and sterile setting in order for his injury to heal, the sooner he was off the ship, the better.

The sound of feet descending the steps caused her to turn around. The captain walked down the stairs with a slight grin on his face. He had on a light blue collared shirt with his sword’s strap fastened tightly against his chest. As always, his hair was tousled and he had grease smeared under his eyes. He told her it was to keep the sun from blinding him; secretly she knew he liked it and thought it made him look intimidating. In reality, it almost made him look 16 instead of 26 years old.

Riza returned the smile for a moment as the captain stood in front of her.

“Good morning, sir.”

“Mornin’” He pulled two apples out of his pockets and offered one of them to Riza. She gladly accepted the green fruit and munched on it. They stared at the sea for several minutes, neither uttering a word. Roy looked at peace, his eyes softened when he looked out at the tumbling waves. The captain loved his life on the ship, he’d always been the happiest near the water. He loved it when dolphins and fish breached the surface, he loved the smell of the breeze, he also loved it when the night sky was clear and the millions of stars reflected their twinkling light against the calm waves. Of course, he enjoyed the thrills that came with pillaging Royals, too. The ocean was his home, Riza was glad she could be a part of it.

“Where’s Fuery?” He asked after wiping a piece of apple off his face.

“The sick bay. He’s been keeping those boys company.”

“We’ll be arriving at the port soon, can you send him up here?”

“Yes, sir.” She nodded her head and hurried down a set of stairs. She made sure to acknowledge those who greeted her in the hallway with a nod. In a way, she was glad with the events that transpired. If they hadn’t gone to Resembool and saved the brothers, they wouldn’t have the need to stay docked for an undetermined number of weeks. Of course, what happened to the brothers was awful, she wouldn’t wish that upon anyone. Simply, she was tired, she needed a break from life on the ship. The amount of time it would take Edward to heal would be enough.

Riza stopped at sick bay door and looked at the elaborately engraved signed that was nailed into the wood. It was a gold plated sheet of metal with little flower and wave designs etched carefully around the border. The sign would have been really pretty, if it hadn’t been for the words, ‘Knock for Knox’ engraved in the center with bolded childish font. It had been a gag gift to the doctor from Havoc. It was either going to be that or, ‘The Doctor Knox me off my feet’, but it was cheaper to go with the three word option.

She opened the door quietly, in case the brothers were asleep. Fuery was conversing with Knox while Alphonse read a book titled, ‘Noren Code: A Practical Guide by Thomas Noren’. Sure, there weren’t any children’s books on the ship, there was no need for any. At least Al could keep himself busy, even with only a boring code book for entertainment.

“Fuery.” Her tone was authoritative, though she didn’t mean for it to sound that way. “We’ll be docking shortly, they need you topside.” Boatswains played an integral part when it came to arriving and leaving a port, they couldn’t afford to have him distracted.

“Yes, ma’am!” He hurried away to do his job. Knox glanced at Riza for a moment, then he started organizing a stack of papers, likely they were a list of supplies he needed to pick up.

Riza made herself comfortable in a chair next to Edward’s bed, Al flickered his undamaged eye to look at her briefly. The brothers’ features were unique and not characteristics of any Amestrians she knew. Their golden blond hair and eyes contrasted heavily against their brown skin. There was a group of people who fit that description, but they were rather secluded and thought of as a dangerous nation; Xerxes. If the brothers were truly of Xerxian decent, there was more reason to protect them from the Royals. Alchemy had been criminalized for a reason, after all.

She knew the propaganda against Xerxes was created by the Royals to entice fear and monger hate. Despite what Amestrians were led to believe, these boys were not thieving mongrels. They were simply two brothers, trying their best to make it in the world after the loss of their parents. She understood that, as did the others in the captain’s closely knit team. Unfortunately, she wasn’t sure how some of the less honorable crewmates would act. If anyone tried anything funny, they’d have her to answer to.

“Mom?” Edward mumbled, his dull eyes flickered open for a couple seconds before shutting tight in a pained expression. After having a serious surgery with no painkillers available and losing his mother, Riza could only imagine the intense hurt he was going through. She offered the child her hand, which he clutched tightly to.

“I’m sorry.” She consoled him, hoping her support would help him heal, or at least make him feel at ease.

“He’s doing well.” Knox spoke while stuffing loose papers into a log book. “The incision should be healed in a week or two. Little ones always seem to recover faster than us old farts.” Doctor Knox was one of the older members on the ship, but Riza wouldn’t say a thirty year old was that old.

“...’m not small.” Edward muttered. Alphonse smiled upon hearing those words, it must have been an inside joke between them.

Over the next hour, Riza stayed with the brothers, gently holding the older one’s hand. As the master gunner, she wasn’t needed above to help dock. Too many people trying to help all at once was always a nuisance.

A bell tone rang through the small radio mounted above the door; that was the signal that the crew was free to leave the ship. With great care, Riza wrapped a sheet around Edward’s body as she lifted him up. He was fairly light, so she had no problem carrying him bridal style through the ship. Knox took the lead, Alphonse stayed close to Riza’s side.

The dock bustled with fishermen and merchants alike, all of them aggressively attempting to sell their goods. The island itself was devoid of trees; it was small and overpopulated. The people of Yanni Island survived by creating a desirable destination for seafarers of all sorts to visit. There were eighteen different taverns to choose from, as well as three brothels. Shops were quite diverse, too; three markets, two tailors, two meat lockers, and four blacksmiths. Since Roy didn’t charge the people for being their protector, they had an agreement that they’d make any ship and equipment repairs free of charge.

As they strode down the streets, Riza managed to stave off the pushy merchants with a harsh glare. They made their way quickly to the island’s small hospital, it was a humble stone building with eight recovery rooms. Still, it was sterile and had the medicines they required.

“I’m sorry,” a nurse set down a bucket of cleaning solution when she saw them standing in the entryway, “unless it’s an emergency, all of our rooms are full.”

“I’m sure you have the room.” Knox pulled a sheet out of his notes and handed it to the nurse. Upon seeing it, her eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh, my! It’s an honor to have the Flame’s men here. I apologize.” She bowed twice and handed the paper back.

“There’s no need for that.” He raised his hand and smiled. “Now, we have an amputee patient here who needs treatment.”

“Of course, right this way!” She led them down a hallway and into a room with boxes shoved into one of the corners. Along one of the walls were two hospital beds, Riza set the sleeping Edward in one of them. Alphonse made himself comfortable in the free bed with his small pile of books. Riza would have offered to find him something more age appropriate, but he seemed plenty satisfied reading about alchemy and codes.

The room was obviously used as a storage room, but all that mattered was that it was a clean and calm place for Edward to heal. Knox rummaged through the cabinets and pulled out a small vial of morphine. He stuck a syringe in it and drew out a small amount, then injected it the crook of Edward’s arm.

“This will help him feel better,” Knox explained to Alphonse, “but it might make him nauseous. If he looks like he’s going to be sick, tell me.”

“Okay.” Alphonse affirmed with a nod of his head. “Where’s Kain?”

“He has an important job to do.” Riza spoke up. She knew Alphonse was already quite attached to Fuery. While the boy did seem a bit detached from his surroundings, it was nice to know he had someone to go to while he grieved over the loss of his parents and home. “I’ll send him in when his duties are complete.”

“Thank you.” He smiled at her briefly, then he started thumbing through his books.

Riza left the hospital, more than happy to get out of a place that smelled heavily of bleach. The streets were packed, a few drunks stumbled about and shouted incoherently. They spilled their drinks as they clumsily disrupted the flow of the crowd. Instinctively, Riza grabbed the hilt of her sword in case she needed to deal with any ruffians. Thankfully the troublemakers went along their way and she allowed herself to relax.

She left the hospital and walked towards the inns. On her way, plenty of people offered her a drink or invited her to join them in the taverns. Riza declined, she always did. She didn’t care much for alcohol. In the past, she’d been questioned about that. Surely all pirates indulged themselves in liquor, it was a common stereotype for a reason. On one particular occasion, Riza remembered unsheathing her sword and shattering a beer bottle right out of a sailor’s hand. Her consumption (or lack thereof) of booze didn’t make her a pirate, her prowess did.

With a sigh, she entered one of the inns. It was a two story building made out of orange bricks. The inside was decorated with wood carvings of ships, fish, and whales. Next to a fireplace, there was a woman playing the piano. Riza recognized the song, it was a popular folk melody from Central Amestris. It was nice to hear something that reminded her of home; she hadn’t been in Central for years. There was nothing in particular she missed. Her relationship with her father hadn’t been great, not that it mattered anymore since he passed on long before she and Roy became pirates. None of her old friends were in contact, it’d be reckless to attempt to talk to someone on the top ten list of Amestris’ most wanted. Perhaps it wasn’t nostalgia of the past that made the song pleasing, rather it was the promise and hope of a better future.

“Hey, Hawkeye, over here!” Havoc was standing with a small group next to the piano, waving his hand. Riza joined him, happy there was at least someone she knew she could talk to and feel comfortable around. “I was just telling everyone how I fought off a battalion of Royals before I joined the Flame.” Riza couldn’t help but snort at Havoc’s proclamation. He was always telling people a different story about how he joined the crew. She knew he was trying to impress the ladies and some of the men that surrounded him.

“Oh really? As I seem to recall, you were holed up and in desperate need of a shower when I met you.” Havoc look betrayed, but he did make an attempt to save face.

“Haha, Hawkeye, always the jokester.”

“I also remember the first time you saw a shark. You wet yourself.”

“T-that’s not true!” It was. Havoc leaned close to Riza and hissed so only she could hear, “Traitor!”

Riza shrugged her shoulders and looked at the snickering faces of the crowd Havoc managed to gather around himself. Havoc had a bit of a reputation for being a heartbreaker. If Riza had a gold piece for every one of Havoc’s exploits, she’d be rich. While she didn’t care what the quartermaster did behind closed doors, she did want to talk to him before the end of the night.

“Where’s your bosun? You didn’t ditch him to come here, did you?” Her words seemed to be effective. The people frowned and whispered amongst themselves and began dispersing.

“He’s taken.” One of the women sighed dramatically as she led her friend away.

“Wait, no! It’s not what you think.” But the damage was already done. Soon enough, Riza was alone with only Havoc and the piano player. “That was cruel of you.”

“I need you to send Fuery to the hospital when he’s completed his duties.”

“You couldn’t wait until later to tell me that?”

“Where would the fun be in that?”

“You enjoy picking on me too much.”

“You make it rather easy.” Riza stated and Havoc crossed his arms.

“Fine, fine. Is there anything else you needed me to do?” It would be a while yet until the captain and the rest of the crew were done with their duties. She rather not wait alone until they joined up with her.

“Let’s enjoy this music.” She made herself comfortable in a cushioned chair while Havoc poured himself a glass of rum. Halfway through his third drink, Havoc passed out on the floor, Riza rolled her eyes and muttered, “Men.”

 

* * *

 

 

Riza walked briskly to the open lot. The weather was cool and the heavy winds flapped her loose jacket violently about, it was a typical autumn day. Southern Amestris stayed warm during the winter, but that’s when the violent typhoons struck the Eastern Sector. The sea that separated the Eastern and Western Sectors was vast enough that any storms that started in the east fizzled out to nothing by the time they reached the west. That was why they traveled to Western Amestris this time of year. It had been a risky decision to stay docked on Yanni Island until Ed was recovered.

Over the past month, the brothers revealed more of their personalities. They still were grieving, of course, but she was glad they allowed themselves to open up a bit more. Alphonse was gentle and patient, while Edward tended to be a bit high strung and stubborn. Both were intelligent, and they seemed to relish the fact they were allowed to openly learn about alchemy. Riza remembered Al teaching Noren Code to Ed when he was still restricted to the bed. The fact the brothers had memorized a complex code in the matter of weeks really was impressive.

In the grassy lot, Ed was using crutches to walk with Knox, Fuery, and Al watching close by. His wound closed up in a little less than three weeks, Knox assured everyone that it was actually the average amount of time an amputation incision took to close up. For some reason, Riza assumed that type of wound would take longer to heal. What came next for Ed was rehabilitation, which was a longer process than the initial recovery. Thankfully they didn’t need a sterile environment for rehabilitation, so they’d be setting sail westward once they had all the supplies they needed.

“Ah, Miss Hawkeye,” Knox made a dramatic bow as Riza stood next to them. “To what do we owe you this pleasure?” She bowed back, deciding to play along. Al giggled and Ed simply cocked his head.

“I heard it was young Edward’s birthday, I wanted to pay him a visit.”

“You told them?” Ed accused his brother and attempted to give chase, not that he could move fast with the crutches.

“Of course I did.” Al responded, easily avoiding his brother.

“Easy there.” Riza spoke, it nearly sounded commanding. “You wouldn’t want hurt yourself now, would you?”

“He’s being a butt.” Ed stopped himself and stuck his tongue out at Al. It was quite endearing.

“That’s what little brothers are for.” Fuery commented, Riza gave him a sympathetic nod.

“I have a gift for you.” Riza dug into her pocket and pulled out a small box, then she set in in Ed’s hands. He readjusted his crutches so he wouldn’t fall over and he opened the lid. Inside was a pendant of a turquoise snake wrapped around a silver cross. “In Xing, they say turquoise alleviates pain and strengthens the wearer.” Ed looked at her with wide eyes, it was clear he didn’t know what to say or how to respond. Riza pulled the silver chain out of the box and clasped the necklace around Ed’s neck.

“Thank you.” He finally responded when he snapped himself out of his daze. “I love it.” Riza patted his head and pulled a second box out of her pocket.

“Alphonse.” She said as she handed it to him. “This one’s for you.”

“But it’s not my birthday yet.”

“That’s alright, you can have it now.” He eagerly took the lid off and pulled out a pendant similar to Ed’s. The cross and chain were made of gold instead of silver, and the snake was made out of a yellow gem. “Citrine is said to be a healing stone that clears the mind.” While she knew merchants sold the gems while saying they had different properties to make a quick coin, she thought it was a nice gesture to give the brothers something that had a positive meaning to it.

Al put the necklace on, and both brothers proudly wore the symbol of alchemy against their chests.

“Thank you so much.” Al beamed and he gave Riza a quick hug. After the commotion settled down, Fuery meekly stepped forward and revealed a package wrapped in old newspaper clippings.

“I have a gift, too.” He handed it over to Ed once they all sat themselves on an old bench. Ed opened the paper and gasped when he saw what it was; it was an artificial wooden leg.

“Can I try it on?” Ed blurted, clearly ecstatic about what this meant; he’d be able to walk again.

“Sure thing!” Fuery grabbed the leg and carefully tied the straps around Ed’s thigh. “This is a test run, but when you’re wearing it long term, the straps go under your clothes so it doesn’t slip. The cushion pad is removable, you’ll want to clean it every night to prevent bacterial growth. I’m no automail engineer, but this should nearly be good as the real thing while you recover.”

“I appreciate it, thank you.” Ed grinned and he heaved himself up using his crutches. He took a few steps, wincing as he went. Ed walked about fifteen steps before he stopped himself.

“Are you okay?” Knox questioned, rushing to Ed’s side.

“Yeah, just a little sore. But I can walk!”

“That’s good, try not to exert yourself too much.” Ed nodded and he limped back to the bench. He unstrapped the leg and held it in his arms like it was a fragile kitten.

The brothers’ lives would never be the same, they made it official last week they wanted to join the crew. Despite their recent challenges, Riza recognized the look in Ed’s eyes. He had hope that his and Al’s future would be a bright one. He’d never go down without a fight.

* * *

 

The sky behind them was light gray. This time they’d manage to outrun a big storm. As they travelled farther west, the ship as a whole was much more safe. Riza had always been a fan of Western Amestris; it had beautiful mountains and trees, complete with unique foods and customs. They’d sailing for a month and they still had two more weeks to go until they reached their next base.

“Ship ahoy at 11 o’clock!” A sailor cried from the crow’s nest. Riza ran up to the helm to join Roy to determine if the ship was friend or foe. She grabbed one of the spyglasses and found the ship in her sights.

“Looks like it’s of Cretan make, sir.” She announced. Instead of being stained cherry red, the ship looked walnut brown. Overall its shape was more boxy than round, typical of a Cretan vessel.

“What flag do they have flying?” Roy asked, his tone neutral and unalarmed. As captain, he needed to keep a cool head at all times to keep the rest of the crew from panicking.

“It’s blue.”

“Well, it seems they only wish to trade, then. Let’s see if they have anything of value.”

“Understood, sir.” Riza leaned over the railing and shouted to the crew, “Fly the yellow!” Quickly, they raised a yellow flag with a black X through the middle of it; the Amestrian flag used to show they were peaceful negotiators.

“What’s going on?” Ed’s voice came from the deck above the helm.

“What are you doing up there?” Riza asked, not answering his question.

“I’m doing laundry.” At least that explained the faint smell of vinegar. Roy had given Ed stationery jobs so he wouldn’t put too much strain on his healing leg. He must have moved to the deck because he was tired of being inside in a cramped room that smelled only like vinegar.

“There’s a Cretan ship headed our way. Stay where you are until they leave.” This time, it was a command. While the Cretans likely only wanted to trade, she didn’t want Ed to be in any unnecessary danger.

“Alright.” He disappeared and went back to cleaning clothes.

“Maybe we’ll get lucky and score some Cretan wine.” Roy commented as the oncoming ship approached them. “I’m a big fan of their 1856 La Gsemelle brew myself. Though I’m not sure they’d be willing to part with it in exchange for a few Amestrian oranges. Breda’s making pork cutlets tonight, maybe they’d be willing to trade for some of those.”

“I doubt it, sir.” The crew shut the sails and threw in one of the anchors, but they didn’t let it strike the bottom. If they needed to make an escape, the power from the steam engine would be enough to let them flee, even with an anchor tossed in the sea.

After what seemed like an eternity, the Cretan ship stopped next to them and connected the two with a gangplank. Riza was a bit nervous. Sure, they encountered and attacked plenty of ships with no fear, but they had always been the ones to approach, never the other way around. Whenever they were approached by an enemy ship from behind, they simply out sailed it. Riza and Roy walked down the stairs to greet the other ship’s captain.

He and his large men wore green uniforms, thankfully only three of his men boarded the ship.

“Hello, Captain.” Roy greeted the man boisterously and gave him a sturdy handshake.

“Captain.” The other responded with a slight western accent. “We were curious to see what type of person owned this fine ship. Are you a part of the Amestrian navy?”

“No.” Roy managed to hold back a grimace from his face. “We’re freelancers specializing in the acquisition and dispersion of misplaced goods.”

The other captain squinted his eyes, then let out a heavy laugh.

“Good one! Privateers then, eh?” He looked around the ship and frowned. “Do you not know it’s considered bad luck for women to be on a ship?” Riza stared at the Cretan, a little bit of anger bubbled inside her. Nearly half the crew was comprised of women; besides, that was an age old belief best left in the dark ages.

“I’ve heard the same about swine.” Roy responded cooly, his head raised high. The jab must have gone over their heads, since the Cretans didn’t react. “If you’re not wanting to trade, then I think it’s for the best we part ways.”

“No, no,” the captain waved his hands apologetically, “I’d love to see what you have to offer.”

“Do you have any wine aboard?” Roy inquired, he couldn’t hide the annoyance from his face anymore.

“Yes, lots.”

“Do you have any 1856 La Gsemelle?”

“Hmm.” The captain stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Maybe. Oh?” Riza turned her head to see what the Cretan was looking at. Edward was at the bottom of the stairs with a basket of dried sheets and a crutch.

‘I told you to stay put.’ Riza mouthed at him. He mouthed back, ‘Sorry.’

“You got yourself a Xerxian cabin boy? You don’t see that often. You know, I think we do have some of that Gsemelle stuff, if the price is right of course.”

Riza stood protectively in front of Ed and unsheathed her sword. “We’re not into that kind of trade.” She practically growled. Anyone who decided cross her sword would deeply regret it.

“Get out of my ship.” Roy ordered the Cretans, who seemed to be a bit stunned. “Now.”

The Cretan captain took a step backwards and whistled, then he drew his sword. In an instant, the ship was swarmed with Cretan sailors. Riza immediately jumped into action, defending those who were weaponless the best she could. One of the sailors singled her out and furiously began swinging. He was obviously inexperienced with a sword, but his weapon was designed with hacking and slashing in mind. Any one of his wild swings, no matter how displaced, could easily kill anyone. Her own sword was made for piercing, she had to think about her next move to be effective.

Riza easily deflected the poorly aimed attacks by blocking them with her blade. One thing she noticed was the man left many of his vitals open when he went for the strike. When he raised his arm to the left, Riza chose that as her moment to swing. She stepped forward and yelped when she felt something tug harshly against her foot. One of the wounded Cretans had her by the ankle. Remembering she was in the middle of a fight, she whipped her head around saw the man who had been fighting her stop to hold the back of his head. Not taking any chances, Riza stabbed him in the shoulder, satisfied when he finally fell. Behind him was Ed, holding a wooden beam menacingly in the air. Yes, he may have saved her life, but she was still disappointed he hadn’t stayed put like she told him to.

Suddenly, everything glowed orange and felt unbearably hot. The air was sucked of its moisture as Roy snapped his fingers. He sent forth a stream of fire towards the Cretan ship, its sails were quickly reduced to ash. The enemy sailors were terrified, some of them begged for their lives, others babbled in a foreign language. Even Ed’s face was shocked, although his expression was one of awe and curiosity rather than horror.

“I thought I told you to get out of my ship, you pigs!” Roy yelled. “Weigh anchor!” The crew quickly reeled in the anchor, and gray smoke puffed out from the steampipe. The remaining Cretans scurried off the ship and tried to salvage their burning vessel. The wounded were thrown overboard by the crew as well.

Once the chaos settled down, Fuery ran around frantically to assess the damage. Thankfully not much was destroyed, only a few scratches here and there. No one was seriously injured, there were a few people who were in need of stitches however.

Out of the corner of her eye, Riza noticed Ed trying to slip away. She caught him by the collar of his shirt, he looked at anywhere but her face.

“What were you thinking?” She demanded.

“I was worried about Al.” He managed to croak out. Alphonse was helping out in the kitchen, and if things had been worse, Breda would have been capable to protect both himself and Al.

“I understand that, but you could have been hurt. When we give an order, you need to follow it.” They stood in silence, Ed was shaking; the ordeal had been rather abrupt.

“Yes, ma’am.” Riza patted his back until he ceased trembling.

“We care about you, none of us want to see you or your brother hurt.”

“I’m sorry.” He looked at her in the eyes when he said it. She knew he truly was apologetic, it was hard to be upset with him. Who knew two little boys could cause so much trouble. Still, she was happy they were on the ship; they were part of the family now. Riza did enjoy change, after all


	5. Chapter 5

Ed sat on the quarterdeck, quietly scrubbing dirty clothes in a vinegar solution. It was supposed to prevent the spread of diseases since life aboard the ship wasn’t exactly the healthiest. Al was learning how to control and work with the rigging, while Ed was stuck with laundry duty. It was boring and he’d rather be doing something else, but he didn’t feel like enduring through another one of the captain bastard’s spiel on how important the job was. 

Halfway through the rant, Ed stopped paying attention, that only earned him another scolding. Mustang was obnoxious and arrogant, he didn’t understand why Al liked him so much. There wasn’t much he could do about his situation. Mom was gone.

Without her, Al and he were alone. If Mustang hadn’t rescued him, he likely would have died. Al would be on his own in their demolished home town with no one to look after him. Ed truly was grateful for that, but that didn’t mean he had to like the captain. Hawkeye was nice, but she could be fairly strict. He had to share a room with her since there wasn’t enough room in Fuery’s cabin to fit three people. She made sure he made his bed every morning and his few belongings were put away in their proper spots.

The clothes he received were far too large for his age, so he had to bunch up the bottom hem of his shirt and tie it off. He also wore a blue bandana over his forehead and hair to protect himself from the sun’s rays. It made him look like a ruffian, but he didn’t stand out when compared to the majority of the crew. 

With the last of the clothes strung up to dry, Ed moved towards the railing on the edge of the deck. He left his crutch next to the basket, hoping he wouldn’t need it. His amputation incision had been deemed completely healed by Knox, but he was told to take it easy for a while longer. Sometimes when he walked, his leg would give way and make him stumble. Other days his stump pained him enough that it hurt to walk with his wooden prosthetic on. On some rare occasions, he could walk without his crutch and not feel in any lasting pain. Today was one of those lucky days. As he sauntered to the rail, he didn’t stumble, his stump only felt a little sore. Pleased with the result, he walked to the opposite side of the ship with no issue.

He leaned against the rail and looked at the sea. It seemed silly to him, especially since he’d been raised next to the ocean, but he was slightly afraid of the water. When he looked down, he could see at least fifty feet until the clear blue water faded to black. Fish of all sizes darted around below the surface, jellyfish gently floated along with the slow current. A sea turtle drifted with the current, eating the invertebres before disappearing into the dark depths. What made him nervous about the sea was the unknown. Who knew what monstrosities lie in the deep, watching above for passing ships to hunt. Deep down he knew it was a ridiculous notion, but it was called an irrational fear for a reason.

Instead of dwelling on the uneasy thoughts anymore, Ed started walking from railing to railing.The incident with the Cretans two months ago left him determined to recover as fast as he could. Both Hawkeye and Havoc promised him they’d teach him how to properly use a sword once his leg was completely mended. That encounter opened his eyes to his situation; he was an orphaned amputee living on a ship full of vagabonds. At any moment they could be attacked again by more people like those Cretans. If Hawkeye, or even Mustang, weren’t around to defend him, he could find himself in peril. Besides, he didn’t want to have to rely on others for his safety. He wanted to be able to protect himself and Al by his own means.

Before the raid, Ed was able to scare off his and Al’s bullies using only his ferocious attitude. Some of his classmates used to make fun of him and his brother for being a little different, apparently their looks were similar to a barbaric race of people to the east. Others gave him flak for not having a father present, they said he was nothing more than an ill-tempered bastard. He did have memories of his father living with him, so it wasn’t like he ditched his mom as soon as Ed was born.

Whenever the kids started teasing him (or especially his brother), he’d always lash out by either yelling at them or tackling them. That of course earned him a fair amount of detentions and his mom needing to come to the school to talk to his teacher. She’d always tell him to ignore the words. He was her brave son, he could disregard those who tried to get a rise out of him. 

While his peers could be cruel at times, Ed never truly wished harm upon them. They were young and didn’t fully understand the weight of the words they spoke. None of them deserved the fate they received. Ed was going to find out why his town had been mercilessly slaughtered, and he planned on making sure everyone, even those who mocked him, had the proper justice that was warranted.

Why he and Al were spared, Ed didn’t think he’d ever know. The morning of the raid was chaotic, those who tried running into the forest were shot down. Some of the adults tried fighting back, but the attackers were well armed and skilled, they were able to take out the humble farmers with ease. During the confusion, Ed and Al were ushered into the barn by their mother. They hunkered down and she watched through the yellow window pane as their home was set ablaze. They could hear horses whinnying and men shouting at each other to burn everything down. Their hiding spot was not safe from the marauders, soon the barn was on fire. They couldn’t leave, otherwise they’d be attacked as soon as they attempted an escape. Ed remembered his mom wrapping her arms around him and Al defensively, muttering how much she loved them, and how proud she was of them. Moments later the support beams started falling, one of them struck her and Ed. He’d been in a lot of pain, so he didn’t remember much beyond that. There was one thing he was certain of, and it was that his mom died protecting him and his brother. 

Shortly before the Cretan pirates attacked, Ed was a little ashamed to admit he thought about reanimating his mother. One of the captain’s alchemy books briefly described human transmutation, but there wasn’t much more information other than it was strictly forbidden. He’d read many alchemical and medical books in an attempt to gather all the information he could about the mysterious taboo. After the Cretan confrontation, he abandoned his research, though he was sure there had to be a way. 

After thinking on it, Ed decided it wasn’t worth the try for the time being. Alphonse was happy with where he was, and he benefited greatly from having the crew’s emotional support. His brother always was a bit soft-hearted, so he was able to bond with his shipmates quite easily. Besides, these people were making sure that he and Al had a home and family, as unconventional as it may be. Plus, he couldn’t deny how protective the adults were over him. As annoying as some of them could be at times, they genuinely cared for him and his brother.

Ed checked to make sure the clothes line was secured and he carefully walked down the stairs. Al waved to him from the crow’s nest with a grin as did Fuery, Ed lazily waved back. He went into the quarterdeck and strolled towards the last room on the right. The door was already open, that was rather alarming. Inside stood Mustang holding a book tightly in his hands. He was livid.

“What were you planning?” The captain seethed and he stood firmly in the center of the room.

“Why are you in my room?” He retorted and gulped; that book had his notes in it.

“This is my ship.” Mustang opened the book and started reading from the first page, “Components of an adult human; water, 35 liters. Carbon, 20 kilograms. Ammonia, 4 liters.” Ed rushed forward and tried to snatch the notes. The captain easily stopped him by taking hold of his arm. Ed squirmed and tried his best to wriggle free. “Lime, 1.5 kilograms. Phosphorous, 800 grams. Sound familiar yet?”

Mustang released Ed’s arms and he closed the book with force. Ed took a couple steps back but stood his ground. He refused to look like a cowering dog.

“It’s none of your business.” He folded his arms defiantly against his chest and glared at the man. The captain opened the book once more, then tore the page out and tossed the journal aside carelessly. With a snap of his fingers, the paper disintegrated into nothing but gray ashes. If the situation was different, Ed would have liked to know more about the flame alchemy the captain was able to perform. 

“I think you’ll find anything that happens on this ship is my business. So, I’ll ask again, what were you planning on doing with those notes?” Ed watched the ash flutter to the ground in a disarrayed mess. The tension along with the silence seemed to grow heavier with every passing second, and Ed shifted his stance into a more slumped one.

“I’m not planning on anything, I only wanted to see if it was possible.”

“What? Human transmutation? That’s not something people research for the fun of.” Mustang looked at something behind Ed, which turned out to be Hawkeye leaning against the doorframe. Her presence along with the captain’s was making him feel like a trapped animal with nowhere to run or hide.

“I already told you, I’m not planning on doing it.”

“Human transmutation is impossible, everyone who’s ever attempted it perished. Its one of the reasons the Royals banned alchemy in the first place.” Ed didn’t like what the captain was implying; would he not be allowed to study alchemy anymore?  

 “I’m not doing it.” Ed repeated himself. The captain’s gaze did not falter as he walked towards the door.

“We’ll discuss this later, I have other work to attend to.” With that said, Mustang and Hawkeye left the room and closed the door behind them. Ed picked up his discarded notebook up from the floor and made sure none of his other papers were ruined. Captain Mustang, scourge of the seas? It was more like Captain Mustang, biggest of the jerks.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a short chapter, it was originally supposed to be longer, but it has been a couple months since I've updated and I wanted to publish something before March rolled around. Speaking of that, Zelda: Breath of the Wild is coming out shortly, so I'm sorry to say there's going to be yet another delay for the next chapter.


End file.
